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September 30, 2013

Wow! What a week. I want to thank you all for participating in the first ever Selfish Sewing Week. It was a seven day roller coaster of pure awesomeness. Rachael and I were so excited to see your projects in the Selfish Sewing FlickR pool. The responses we have received to Selfish Sewing Week were overwhelming and heart warming. It's so great to be part of such a large community of talented stitchers. You all had so much fun, that we're going to be doing a Spring Selfish Sewing Week! We understand that everyone's lives are super busy and jam packed, but twice a year we're going to encourage you to get out your special stash and make something selfish!

September 29, 2013

Hi Made with Moxie readers! So happy to be here today. I am Caroline from Sew Caroline. Over on my blog you'll find a plethora of sewing tips, DIYs, lifestyle posts, and, of course, handmade fashion. I love sewing for myself, so this Selfish Sewing week was a perfect fit for me.

Can you see the slip? You can sew it with the same fabric, a coordinating fabric, or just something really fun to give it that WOW factor! I've also used the slip pattern to make some rad swimsuit coverups!

There are so many things I love about this dress: the sleeves (angelic, right?), the hemline (slight shirttail), the slip worn underneath (hello!), and well, I could go on and on.

I sewed this one with an older Amy Butler rayon print that had been sitting in my stash for probably over a year... and I really feel like this was THE perfect project for it! The only thing I changed about the pattern was that I added three or four rows of shirring to the back of the dress, starting right below the arm holes.

So, go do yourself some selfish sewing today-- I can't wait to see it!
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Make sure you head over to imagine gnats to read about Rachael and how she feels about muslins. Do you muslin???

Make sure you are uploading pictures of your Selfish Sewing to the Selfish Sewing FlickR pool as you sew this week. And don't forget to enter the contest below to win one of 8 different patterns featured during Selfish Sewing Week!

September 28, 2013

If I'm being realistic, I won't get around to sewing today at all. Friends of our swap baby sitting once a month on a Saturday so we can each have an entire Date Day with our husbands. Today it's our day to be the babysitters, and with four kids under four in the house and and under the weather husband, sneaking away to my studio seems unlikely.

What I am working on is drafting myself a pattern for leggings. I am popping back and fourth between this Etsy tutorial and this one at One Little Minute. Don't worry, it isn't rocket science at all. I was on a roll last night, too. I took my measurements quickly and had the pattern piece a third of the way done. Then Jimmy saw me at the kitchen table and wanted to "help." Drawing on his own paper soon became blasé and he began to scribble directly on my drafting lines making the points I was marking imperceptible. So we went out for ice cream. For dinner.

So today I'll be working on finishing drafting my leggings and hopefully at least getting them cut out as well during naptime. I want to make them to wear as a fashion leggings, but I also want to be able to make them into performance running tights too with elastic stays at the ankles and a draw string waist. I'll let you know how that goes.

This Esme top by Melissa is so damn cute. In her blog post, she says how she made it in voile and then this one with a knit, but wasn't super happy with them. I think it looks adorable on her! I do not own this pattern, but would consider it because of Melissa's top. I love the look of the quilter cotton with a knit. It looks great, Melissa.

Ttlinscott's Super Tote is just gorgeous. I love the bold pink and gray ikat print. I wish there were more bags uploaded for Selfish Sewing Week. Who doesn't love a new hand bag? Plus you get to sew your own stash. A hand bag always fits and rarely makes you look fat!

Brooke's Meritime Shorts are not only super adorable. (I love her tank too!) But what I also really love about this is that in her blog post about these shorts she tells you how she graded the pattern in between sizes at the waist, hips and legs. I think I need to try that since I can't seem to find a shorts pattern, or store bought shorts that I love.

Make sure you pop over to imagine gnats and see the new Deer & Doe dress that Stephanie of Stitch Organics and The Crafty Kitty has sewn up. I think I need to have this dress pattern!

What are you working on today? Don't forget to upload your Selfish Sewing pics to the FlickR pool.

September 27, 2013

My Selfish Sewing share today is what I have been actually sewing during my Selfish Sewing time this week. This January I made myself a leopard print Washi top which gets a lot of wear. Appropriately enough, this post is also the post where I decided that this year was going to me my Year of Sewing Selfishly.

I bought this blue plaid here on Etsy after I saw Ros's Gingham Washi Dress. I don't know why I don't sew with more plaids. I suppose I don't often find nice plaid shirting material and The Voices in my head make ma match up plaids, which can be extra challenging in curvy women's garments. Anyone have a good source for men's shirting fabrics? I would love to be able to find crisp, quality plaids and stripes.

This yellow print has been prewashed and waiting patiently for me since February! When I went to cut out my blue plaid, I decided to cut the crap and make two washi tops. The fabric is a Keepsake cotton from JoAnn's, which is nothing fancy at all, but I was just stuck by the yellow and grey colors together. It also reminded me of bees. Something about it called to me, so I listened and bought it. (Do you think JoAnn's pumps in fake Voices that tell us to bug fabric? Fabric calls my name a lot when I am in that store.)

My kids have been helping me take pictures for Selfish Sewing Week. It isn't ideal,but it's all I got. I had to send my DSLR back to Canon because it isn't focusing properly (of all weeks!) I have been using my husband's point and shoot along with a tripod. I either have to set the timer and run back and fourth, or get Jane or Jimmy to push the shutter button for me. Jane is annoyed to be my photographer, while Jimmy is trigger happy and shouts "I did it!" every time he takes a picture. I have to delete 85% of the pictures, but in between there are gems.

If you're going to have your kids help you take pictures, I highly recommend putting a small sticker on your shutter button so they can remember which one it is. That way you can just yell over to them to push the sticker, instead of charging back at them to go show them where it is again only to have them snap your picture looking like a blurry, crazed lunatic half way there. Not that that happened to me.

Crafty Brooklyn Army Wife is a pattern tester for Sara at Sew Sweetness. If you are looking for a bag to make, Sara has one that's the right shape and size for you. She's also got a handbag pattern book coming out this fall that I also tested a pattern for (and loved.) This bag by Crafty Brooklyn Army Wife is awesome. I Love the fabrics she used too. And she must have loved the pattern...she made two!

Pam of Quilt Square One has been working on this fabulous improv quilt. It's twenty 15.5" rainbow scrappy squares and she also pieced together letters to have it say "I believe in the color wheel. I believe in me." This quilt looks so happy and snuggly. I just want to take a nap under it and I can't help but think that the sentiment of the quilt is so fitting for Selfish Sewing Week. Nice finish, Pam!

Stephanie stitched up this adorable Wide Open Pouch for herself this week. You all know I have a soft spot for skull fabrics, but this one has scissor crossbones! Combine it with the tape meausure lining fabric, and it's a match made in heave. I'm a sucker for a nice selfish zipper pouch or two. Love!

When I was perusing Etsy for independent pattern makers to feature for Selfish Sewing Week, I was impressed with Yuki of Waffle Patterns. She gladly offerd us a copy of her Caramel Short Duffle Jacket. Her patterns are incredibly technical and her patterns are fashion forward, which I admire because a lot of sewing patterns are basic or dumpy. If you like Yuki's style and have an appreciation for fashionable selfish sewing, do make sure to follow Waffle Patterns on Pinterest.

Here's Kelley and her amazing Caramel Coat:

Hello Moxie fans! I am Kelley from Casa Crafty. I have been sewing a long time, mostly haphazardly, but always with gusto. I sew a lot for my boys. I have one skinny string bean that hates bulky clothes. Having some control over this young hipster has been fun, but it doesn't leave much room for me.

For the last couple of months I was sewing up a major project in quiltland, something I try not to do often. This coat, like the quilt project, is something I do not usually choose to sew. The other thing I should mention about this coat is that the general design is not one I normally choose for myself. I tend to choose more form fitted items. I think I could have gone down a size also.

All that being said, I have fallen in love with Japanese patterns and their feel of the roaring 20's. Sorta boxy, sorta modest, and yet very feminine. This coat pattern fits that description beautifully. It hails from a European pattern design company: Waffle Patterns. They have several coats I like, and may try the >Cookie Zipper next.

The pattern is straight forward. I picked the size based on my measurements, but after the completion, I think I could have gone down to the smallest size. I printed out my pattern and read the instructions in pdf form on my ipad. It may have been just me, but I maybe should have printed those out too. I had to read them a few times to wrap my head around it as it has been a while since I constructed a coat.

All in all, I like it. I scored this black and gray herringbone with gold flecks on the clearance at JoAnn Fabrics, and this was my first attempt at real lining material, not just a cotton. I messed up the hem somehow, and after these pics, I had to take it out and redo the blind hem. Not a major situation, but, it was something my kids were irritated with. Its selfish sewing though, right? They can watch iron man 3, its mildly inappropriate...

Thanks for having me Jill!

Disclosure: I received this pattern free as part of Selfish Sewing Week. All opinions my own.
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I can't thank you enough, Kelley for sewing up the Caramel Short Duffle Jacket by Waffle Patterns for Selfish Sewing Week. It looks awesome on you and it is something I would love to make for myself. Plaid maybe?

Make sure you are uploading pictures of your Selfish Sewing to the Selfish Sewing FlickR pool as you sew this week. And don't forget to enter the contest below to win one of 8 different patterns featured during Selfish Sewing Week!

September 26, 2013

The thing I hate about sewing clothes for myself is that you very rarely get to try it on before you sew it. You spend hours making a garment only to slip it on when you're finished and you think, meh, it's just okay. It's no one's fault. It's just not your favorite. I want everything I make to be my favorite, which is totally unrealistic. So when I come across something I really love, I just want to shout it from the mountain tops.

I AM TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH THE RENFREW TOP! Before this month, I have never sewn up on of Sewaholic's many patterns. The Minoru Jacket looks amazing, but I think trying to make a fully lined jacket during school semesters with two small kids may be the straw that breaks this camel's back. (I'm insane, but not that nuts.) It is still on To Make list, though.

The Renfrew Top is my new best friend. Seriously. I stitched up this top in one afternoon, which is awesome. Not having to tape a PDF pattern together was a huge help. I love the instant gratification of a PDF, but having a tissue printed patter is a dream. I made View C of the Renfrew with the cowl neckline and 3/4 length sleeves. The pattern also has two other necklines and two other sleeve lengths, which I love.

The pattern instructions are clear, concise and professional. Not once did I have to stop and think, what the hell are they talking about? It was so easy to put this top together, it didn't even matter that I was sewing with a knit. This top goes together like a dream.

As if having an easy to sew, knit top that looks stylish and fabulous on me wasn't enough, I put it on to show my husband and he growled at me, raised his eye brows and asked me what I was doing later. Win/win/win! I've already ordered a knit sweater fabric to make another Renfrew with.

Now some of you may say $15.98 for a pattern? To be honest, I usually do too. But as my husband reminds me, I'd pay a hell of a lot more than that for one top in a store and when you buy a pattern you get an infinite number of tops from it. And I am seriously in love with this pattern. I love it with the cowl and I can't wait to make some as basic tshirts and long sleeved tops too. Any knit pattern that doesn't make me want to cry and scream is a winner in my book. Go order yourself a Renfrew Top. You won't be sorry.

Disclosure: I received this pattern free as part of Selfish Sewing Week. All opinions my own. Seriously.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of the Washi sewing pattern, but when Ros posted pics of her dress in this large gingham I loved it so much. I loved it so much that I ordered a large plaid fabric to make myself a Washi with. This is Ros' first Washi too. Nice work, Ros. It looks fabulous.

All week long I've been watching Ms. Midge work on this quilt on Instagram. The paper pieces squares and just gorgeous. Plus, the stained glass effect of the black fabric is so freaking awesome. Ms. Midge has her quilt hanging on the wall already. Gorgeousness, Ms. Midge!

Those of you who know me, know how much I love Mexican patterns and bright colors, especially green. When I saw Justmejay's Ruby dress in the Selfish Sewing FlickR group this morning I was so excited. The fabric is Kokka's Candy Party and it is just so fabulous and it works perfectly with this sewing pattern. I'm in love!t

Make sure you pop over to imagine gnats and see this amazing Sol Hoodie that Laura of Behind the Hedgerow has made.

Hello! My name is Elizabeth and I blog at The College Seamstress. I’m super excited to be here today for Selfish Sewing Week! I’m a full time college student and I love to sew in my spare time. My favorite thing to sew is clothing for myself and my siblings. I sew the majority of clothing in my wardrobe, so when I heard about Selfish Sewing Week I was really excited. I had a great excuse to sew a new dress!

The pattern is from Serendipity Studio – one of my favorite pattern companies. All of the patterns are easy to follow and Kay Whitt, the designer explains everything so well! With the Madeline Maxi dress you have five different variations to choose from. There is a contrasting neckline with an empire waistband, a gathered skirt and an invisible zipper. Invisible zippers usually scare me because they either break (after the dress is finished!) or seams don’t match and I become fast friends with my seam ripper! Luckily, this one went in without a problem.

The bodice of the dress is actually one piece - the contrasting trim is cut into a “Y” shape and topstitched on. There is a lot of topstitching and edgestitching, which it takes the most time, but once you’re finished, everything else goes together quickly! I didn’t spend more than 6 hours on this dress including cutting time.

The fabric is my favorite part of this dress. I found it while shopping at Salvation Army in the home/bedding section! It’s from a twin flat sheet! Something about it just popped out at me and screamed, “summer dress!” and I had been wanting to make something using a sheet. It is soft and it has a good drape to it. The contrasting trim is from our local quilt shop. The sheet makes up the majority of the dress and I spent $3 on it. In total the dress cost about $15.

The Madeline Maxi Dress is also a great dress for different seasons. I’m from Minnesota and the weather is finally getting cooler and it’s starting to feel like fall! I’m looking forward to wearing different colored cardigans, leggings and boots with this dress.

My sister wanted to get in on the photo shoot, so here’s a fun picture of the two of us.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my Madeline Maxi Dress. Feel free to stop by The College Seamstress anytime. I’d love to have you visit! Happy Selfish Sewing!

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Thank you for sewing for sharing your Selfish Sewing, Elizabeth. I wish I found nice vintage sheets and fabrics at my Goodwills. Someone must be beating me to them!

Make sure you are uploading pictures of your Selfish Sewing to the Selfish Sewing FlickR pool as you sew this week. And don't forget to enter the contest below to win one of 8 different patterns featured during Selfish Sewing Week!

Hey guys, I'm very excited to be here guesting for Selfish Sewing Week! In case you don't know me, I'm Amanda from Kitschy Coo. When Jill asked if I'd be willing to review a pattern I jumped at the chance to a) actually make something for myself for fun and b) step out of my comfort zone and learn some new skills.

The Maritime Shorts from Grainline Studio fit the bill on both counts as not only have I never sewn myself woven shorts (or trousers for that matter) but I've also never sewn a zipper fly. Shocking.

The printing, taping and tracing was a doddle and my measurements corresponded to a straight size without blending between sizes. Aiming for a wearable muslin for my first time, I used a nice teal thick canvas as it's already very autumnal in Scotland (as evidenced by the mid-shoot sweater addition- let's just say it was noticeably cold).

There are two cute pockets to the back that I adore. There's something so satisfying about a nice, crisp patch pocket. And now the moment of truth... just how did I get on with that fly?

Not too shabby. I admit that I had some issues with figuring out exactly how it would work (there is a separate tutorial on the Grainline blog with pictures that helped a lot) and I made some mistakes. Clue: when she says baste she actually means baste because that stitching comes out later.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how they turned out and I'm looking forward to making more for the summer in snazzier fabrics.

Disclosure: I received this pattern free as part of Selfish Sewing Week. All opinions my own.

Make sure you are uploading pictures of your Selfish Sewing to the Selfish Sewing FlickR pool as you sew this week. And don't forget to enter the contest below to win one of 8 different patterns featured during Selfish Sewing Week!